Damien Jurado

17100 Northwest Sauvie Island Road,Portland OR 97231

15 July, 2021

Description

Topaz Farm proudly announces Damien Jurado for an intimate show under the gorgeous, massive Topaz Farm Historic Oak Tree on Sauvie Island. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy an evening on Sauvie Island with Damien Jurado and opener Chris Pureka under the Topaz Farm Historic Oak Tree, the most magical place on the farm, while enjoying local food and drinks. ABOUT DAMIEN JURADO: On The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania, Damien Jurado gathers up ten stories of people determined not to be broken by their dire circumstances. “The world is a liar, the stars are a must,” he sings over brushed drums, a circling bassline, and acoustic guitar on “Helena,” which opens his 17th album, the first release from Damien’s own Maraqopa Records. Dire circumstances have long been fixtures of Jurado’s songs, which are filled with ghosts, killers, cruel lovers, and the occasional UFO cult or false messiah. But here, the scenes are earthy, drawn from ordinary but no less immense calamities: hurricanes moving toward town, strained connections, amnesiacs in the front yard. Known for working fast—he’s usually got a handful of finished albums at the ready at any given time—the compositions here are uncluttered, but not slight, decorated by Beatles-esque bass-lines, drums, and strings. Inspired by the sound of records like Lou Reed’s The Bells and Paul McCartney’s Ram, Jurado produced the new album himself, employing “a certain dryness,” which allowed the songs to feel cavernous, even “after spending so long in reverb land,” Jurado laughs. Jurado’s discography is full of detours—from answering machine collages to full-on electric rock band outings—but there’s a through line connecting it all, evidence of an almost oracular or prophetic unease that lurks in Jurado’s headspace. Listening to The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania, you can still hear that young man living within these songs, speaking as if from the other side, about the circumstances that crush people or leave them vexed. “The loneliest place I’ve ever been is in your arms,” he sings on the ghostly, Jason Molina-evoking “Male Customer #1”; “I hadn’t been in a car yet/Hearing the world through your eyes,” he sings on the quixotic “Jennifer.” -Jason P. Woodbury, Aquarium Drunkard FACEBOOK ABOUT CHRIS PUREKA It’s rare for an artist to bridge the divide between critical acclaim and dedicated fan engagement. Chris Pureka is a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose body of work has resonated deeply with these seemingly disparate milieus. Her bold vulnerability in processing the intimacies of her life in song has long appealed to those listeners who crave authenticity. Now, five years coming, she shares with us another powerful entry in her life’s work, her sixth release, the aptly titled, Back in the Ring. Chris’s elegant emotionality as a vocalist, and her flair and immediacy as a lyricist have garnered her favorable comparisons to Gillian Welch, Ryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, and Patty Griffin. She’s earned accolades from such distinguished taste-making outlets as The New York Times, Paste, Magnet, Billboard.com, and The AllMusic Guide. She’s shared the stage with such diverse and esteemed artists as Dar Williams, The Lumineers, The Cowboy Junkies, Gregory Alan Isakov, Martin Sexton, and Ani DiFranco. Along the way, Chris has remained fiercely independent, selling nearly 50,000 albums through her own label, Sad Rabbit Records. FACEBOOK ABOUT TOPAZ FARM Topaz Farm is a working 130-acre family farm for every family, featuring u-pick berries u-cut flowers, a farm stand store, food, beverages and special events. In addition to weekly farm-to-plate dinners and live music festivals in summer, in fall there is also a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay rides and harvest festivals. Before the show, come early to visit the animals and farm stand, walk the farm, have a drink at the farm bar or choose from fresh and grilled food including the Holler food truck. Food, beer, cider, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available in the oak tree area. WEBSITE INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK THE FINE PRINT Topaz Farm’s mask and social distancing policy will be consistent with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) guidelines, at the time of the event. If you are at-risk or are not comfortable being outdoors around others who are unmasked, we recommend that you do not attend this event. Children under the age of three are admitted free. The farm opens at 9 am, oak tree area opens at 5pm and show starts at 6pm. Beach towels, small blankets, small, personal-sized umbrellas (for use pre-show) and single size, low-profile lawn chairs (not exceeding 8 inches from the ground to the bottom of the seat and no higher than 32 inches total from the ground to the top of the chair) are allowed. Outside food and beverages (other than sealed water bottles) are not permitted and no smoking of any kind is allowed. No animals are allowed except registered service animals. WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE THE SHOW